Restore
by BagginAlong
Summary: For reasons unknown, 18yearold Chihiro is back in the spirit world with absolutely no memories of her past adventures there. How could she ever have loved Haku, the most obnoxious god this side of the planet? CxH
1. An Errand

**A/N**: Okay, you can moan. All you want, because YES, I am starting another fic, and YES, I have about a billion others to update and work on. TEE HEE:D

So. This one's Spirited Away. I have kind of an obsession with this movie right now. D: I can't stop listening to the music omgwtf.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Spirited Away in any shape or form. It belongs to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. However, I can DREAM I own Spirited Away, because it's FREAKING AMAZING and my art skills don't compare.

**R e s t o r e .**

chapter one: an errand.

She was running. Running. Blood pumping to her limbs in a steady dance with her lungs; in, out, one, two. In, one, out, two. Anywhere but here. Anywhere. Just a dream.

_Water cast web-like reflections on her pale arms. She tried rubbing them away. They were transparent now._

_Fade out._

_Emerald green eyes. Harsh, cold, staring. Something about them comforted her._

_Fade out._

_Pigs. Many, many pigs. She felt an intense pang of fright that seemed to come out from nowhere._

_They turned on her, crowding her. She could her herself pleading. Her breath was cut short._

_Black._

* * *

Chihiro woke up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat. She looked around her room wildly, forgetting where she was for a split second. When she'd finally come to her senses, she sighed.

"God damn that dream..." She muttered groggily. She cuffed up her pajama bottoms to her knees, allowing her skin to breathe a little. "It makes absolutely no sense, either."

Chihiro collected herself and pushed herself out of bed, running a sweaty hand through her hair. It stopped halfway, however, halted by a shimmering purple hair elastic. Chihiro pulled it out with some difficulty.

"Well, I might as well get up now," Chihiro sighed, glancing at the clock. 4:56 AM. She groaned.

The curtains were drawn to reveal a cloudless sky, just before the break of dawn. Chihiro opened the window and collapsed into the seat below it, letting her arms drape outside her apartment. A cool breeze played at the beads of sweat on her forehead. She closed her eyes, letting her inner self collapse the gate of composure. Thoughts ran amuck in her mind.

_Why do I always have that stinking dream on this day, every year, for the past eight years?_

_What's up with the pigs?_

_I wonder if I turned the oven off last night..._

_Kenta's not going to be in work today, dammit. This means overhaul for me._

_I should probably write back one of my parents' extensive we-miss-you letters, letting them know I'm fine and I've already decided on what college I'm going to._

_Cram school starts in a week._

_Who's the owner of those gorgeous, emerald eyes...?_

If some people suffered insomnia from too many thoughts crowding their mind, Chihiro thought they were insane. This was her time to really relax, since she'd slowly learned over the years to shut her idle worries away. It had mostly started eight years ago, when she'd first moved to this town. After that short little visit to the old broken down amusement park. That's when the dreams started. After that, she'd always be thinking of what she saw in her dreams, especially when they were more vivid. Her constant daydreaming had resulted in a low grade. After that, Chihiro buckled down, putting school first. The dreams only came once a year from that day on.

Chihiro sighed. She could feel herself losing consciousness again. Goodnight.

* * *

"AYA!"

Chihiro rubbed the back of her head in frustration, murky, soapy water soaking through her uniform. "Eugh, disgusting. AYA, GET DOWN HERE, PLEASE!" Chihiro had only taken a few steps into the bathhouse after lunch when she slipped and fell in a puddle of cleaning water.

The form of a small girl came hopping down the steps in fear. The bathhouse's newest employee was only a year younger than Chihiro, but she was very petite. She folded her hands in front of her chest; a nervous habit. "Yes, Ogino-san?" She squeaked.

Sighing and pulling herself up, Chihiro brushed off the front of her pants and turned to face the girl. "Aya. I know you're new, but please. When you're done washing the floor, make sure you dry it, okay?" She folded her arms crossly. Chihiro's stubbornness had gained her a strong job in the bathhouse near her apartment.

Aya bowed so low, Chihiro was afraid she might bruise her nose. "Yes ma'am. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." The girl scrambled to the back of the room to grab a few towels. Chihiro chuckled to herself, just as her name was being called from upstairs. It was the manager, probably asking her to run another errand.

Taking the stairs two at a time, the voice calling got louder and more impatient. "Jeez..." Chihiro mumbled to herself. Finally reaching the manager's office, she walked in casually. She'd been up to visit more than enough times.

"About time," he huffed, a small smirk playing at his mouth.

"What do you want today, sir? Another herbal run?" Chihiro asked, stressing the 'sir' slightly so he could tell she was hardly being polite. He laughed.

"You know me all too well, Chihiro. Yes, I'd like you to fetch some more bergamot for me. Don't bother traveling downtown for it. There's a path just a couple blocks away that has some growing alongside. You can't miss it, there are about two dozen moss-covered shrines in the front."

Chihiro saluted playfully. "Yes, sir." She bowed and turned to leave. "I should be back by the end of my shift."

"Right, then. I guess this means more work for the new girl?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I suppose." Chihiro shrugged, leaving him alone in his office. She skipped down the stairs, handed off the keys to the extra supplies to Aya (Who manage to stammer a "Wh-why are you giving me these?!") and left the building.

The sky was a beautiful, robin's egg blue, decorated by soft, puffy clouds. The smell of late spring lingered in the air, bees buzzed around, flowers bloomed in every direction. Chihiro took a deep gulp of air, filling up her lungs completely. "It's beautiful today. I might just take my time on this errand," She mused aloud.

Chihiro started out walking at a slow pace, kicking aside rocks as she went. She knew exactly where she was headed, since the path was ride behind her parents' house. However, she couldn't remember what was down it. She remembered the little shrines at the mouth of the path, since she passed them everyday when she was going to school, but she couldn't recall what lay at the end. For some strange, nagging reason, she felt she should knew, but she didn't. And that bothered her.

A few familiar faces passed Chihiro along the way. One was her mother's friend, who was out running an errand for her sick daughter. Apparently, there was some sort of nasty sickness going around. Chihiro had also met an old friend from school, who struck up conversation with her for a while.

Greatly delayed, Chihiro checked her watch. 4 PM. A half hour until her shift ended. "Shit," Chihiro cursed under her breath, deserting the desire to take in every moment of her freedom slowly. She started running along the sidewalk, shouldering people on accident, making many "excuse me" and "sorry"s as she ran. The buildings and people were starting to become a blur. While she ran, her thoughts began to scramble around, bumping into each other like little people.

_What's this? Oh, this has to be the path. Turn left._

_I don't see any yet._

_What a cute little statue. It's kind of eerie-looking, though..._

_Still none. I bet that man's lost it. There's nothing down here._

_Another statue. Oh, God, this one's dead in front of me._

_Stop._

_STOP!_

Chihiro snapped back to reality and managed to slow down, avoiding the statue. It stared at her with beady little eyes, almost as if it were laughing to itself. Chihiro shuddered.

"Well, looks like a dead end," She sighed, glancing around. Still no bergamot. All sorts of other flowers, however. Chihiro decided she'd pick some to deliver personally to her mother.

With a fist full of flowers and a defeated disposition, Chihiro turned to head back to the bathhouse and declare she couldn't find any of the requested herbs. She'd take the keys back from Aya and walk home, fix herself dinner, settle into bed with a good book and go to sleep. A peaceful sleep. Nightmare-free sleep. That sounded good.

However, the wind had other plans for Chihiro.

It shifted suddenly, blowing in the direction of a strange tunnel. It tugged at her body and her clothes, nagging at her to turn around. The wind moaned, circling in her ears and running through her hair. It was so convincing.

"So, you think there's some over there?" She pointed at the tunnel. The wind blew harder, causing Chihiro to take a step forward to keep her balance. "Okay, okay, I get the picture. Into the creepy tunnel we go."

It was extremely dark inside, however; Chihiro had to keep one hand along the wall for support. The paint that had once covered the entire length of the tunnel was now chipped and peeling, scraping Chihiro's hand as she ran it along the walls. Once she finally reached the clearing at the end, she was struck with a strong sense of de ja vu.

The room was large and circular, adorned with old, rotting wood seats. It gave the air a sort of musty, welcoming smell. A small sundial stood in the center, water dripping from it as if it had just rained inside. Stained glass windows filtered through warm, golden light. The entire thing was held up by tall pillars, which ended at a very high ceiling. If she listened closely, Chihiro thought she could hear a train nearby. She was fascinated. What was this place?

There was another door at the other end of the room, this one leading back outside. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Chihiro couldn't help but go through this door, too. Her original errand had completely left her mind.

The area behind here was completely barren, but it was breathtaking. Rolling hills of grass stretched for miles east or west, the fierce wind sending rolling waves out over the entire thing. It was enough to make you want to lie down and stay there forever. A small stone path below her feet led down the field. At the end of the path was a small river, whose way was determined by the many boulders lining the bottom. Chihiro took small steps to take in everything. For some reason, this place was screaming with familiarity, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Wow, what's that smell?" A waft of delicious-smelling food was tickling Chihiro's senses. She took a deep breath, her mouth watering and her stomach growling. "Man, I haven't eaten since breakfast. I'm starving," She declared to no one in particular. "Maybe it's a restaurant."

She carefully stepped over the boulders and crossed the river, suddenly feeling as if she didn't belong there anymore. As Chihiro walked cobblestone streets adorned with old buildings (which were all restaurants), she the feeling grew stronger. "Well... on second thought, maybe I shouldn't be here, after all."

At that moment, Chihiro came upon the place where the smell was coming from. She walked in to get a closer look.

Plates were piled with food, all delicious-looking and smelling. She took another deep breath, deciding on the spot to abandon any common sense she could've had.

"Maybe... maybe I can stay for just a little bit." She sat down and reached for something nearby. It looked like a small chicken. Just as she was about to put it in her mouth, a shrill voice rang out.

"OI! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" It was a female voice, so loud and demanding that it startled Chihiro enough to drop her meal. She looked around wildly, exiting the restaurant for a moment to look for the source of the voice.

"Over here," The voice said smugly. Chihiro turned around to face a tall woman with long, chestnut hair. She was dressed in a salmon-coloured working uniform, holding a plate of dumplings. She looked bewildered, and even more strangely, she looked scarily familiar. "What are you doing here? Humans aren't allowed here, and unless you want to be turned in into a—"

The woman stopped mid-sentence. _Clang! _She dropped the dumplings onto the ground, the metal plate crashing with a loud, metallic ring. She gaped at Chihiro, as if she'd just seen a ghost... that is, a ghost she recognized.

"S-Sen!"

* * *

**A/N**: AHAHA CLIFFHANGER. D:

So, what did you think:3 I'm so inspired to continue this. I think I'm going to keep going. YAY WRITING.

I'm a very bad girl. ): Honestly, I have about a billion other fictions to work on.

REVIEWS MAKE FOR GOOD ORAL HYGIENE.


	2. Hesitation

**A/N**: LOLUPDATESOFAST.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Spirited Away, wish I did, blahblahblahoverused.

**R e s t o r e .**

chapter two: hesitation

"Pardon me?" Chihiro managed, blinking. _Who's Sen?_

"Sen!" The woman cried, running over and giving Chihiro a huge hug. Chihiro blushed out of embarrassment, but only spoke when the woman released her.

"I'm sorry, there's got to be some kind of a mistake... I'm not Sen, I'm Chihiro..."

The woman tapped her chin in thought, before raising her eyebrows as if she'd just had an epiphany. "Oh, right. You probably don't remember anything, do you..." She paused and circled Chihiro, studying her closely. Chihiro felt her face getting hotter. "Chihiro, eh? That's your real name? It's pretty. It suits you well. I prefer Sen, though, do you mind?"

Chihiro stared at her.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" The woman laughed. "You should see your face. I'm Lin." She bowed. Chihiro bowed back out of habit.

"So, erm, Lin..." Chihiro started. "How do you know who I am?"

Lin frowned. "You really can't remember anything, can you?" Chihiro shook her head, confused expression still lingering. "Alright, well, you've been here before, eight years ago."

Chihiro stared at her. "Did you say eight years ago?"

Lin nodded. "Eight years ago, you and your parents came here, and your parents ate a lot of our food. They were turned into pigs, and in order to have them turned back, you went through hell and back.

"Firstly, you came to Kamaji, asking for a job. When he refused, he had me take you up to Yubaba. She's the owner of the bathhouse, remember? No, you probably don't... anyway, she eventually gave you work, but took away your name. You were given the name Sen here. Haku helped you out a lot... you don't remember him?"

Chihiro shook her head.

"You loved him." Lin folded her arms.

Chihiro blinked. "I did?" She couldn't remember anyone named Haku, but for some reason, she associated the name with the green eyes in her dreams.

Wait. Didn't she say something about pigs?

"This explains my dreams!" Chihiro said suddenly, startling Lin. "Every year, on this day, I always have nightmares of visiting a place identical to this..." And sure enough, her surroundings were very reminiscent of the dreams she'd had for eight years.

Lin smiled. "Hey, so you do remember! Well, sort of. Anyway, Haku helped you take your name back, save your parents and so you returned home. I guess you returned home without any memories, too... oh, no."

"What is it?" Chihiro asked urgently, following Lin's gaze to her arms. They were fading. Just like in her dreams. Chihiro shrieked.

"I-I'm disappearing!" Chihiro squealed, rubbing her arms. "What's going on?!"

Lin rushed to grab a dumpling that hadn't touched the filthy cobblestone. "You're disappearing. You're only human in this world, a spirit world. If you don't interact with our surroundings, you'll be lost for good." She handed the plump, meat-filled dough to Chihiro. "Here, eat this."

Chihiro looked at the food hesitantly. Lin laughed, as if reading her mind. "Don't worry, it won't turn you into a pig."

"_It won't turn you into a pig."_

_Chihiro, age ten, sitting on the cold ground. Rubbing her arms. No, no. Just a dream._

_A boy without a face in her memory. Feeding her._

"Chihiro?"

Chihiro snapped back to reality. Lin faced her, concerned. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I just remembered something, that's all." She shrugged and took a bite from the dumpling. Almost immediately, her skin began to return to its tangible state. Lin sighed with relief.

Suddenly, the sky began to grow dark. The lights in the restaurants awakened, the red lanterns lining the buildings glowing a bright red. Lin groaned.

"Ugh, I'm so late. Come on, come back to the bathhouse. We can get Yubaba to give you a job again... don't worry, you won't lose your name." She grabbed for Chihiro's hand, but she pulled away.

"I can't... I have to get home." Chihiro stammered, turning away and running back where she came. Lin called after her, screaming her name. For some reason, Chihiro just couldn't go. She had to go home, she couldn't stay. It was mentally freaking her out. There's no way this could be happening. It had to be a dream.

Chihiro just kept running, back to where she came.

The river was gone.

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared. "N-no..." She whispered. "No. No, it can't be gone, it just can't."

"Sen!" Lin called, running after her. "Sen, what're you..." She started, before she realized Chihiro was on her knees, shaking. She was crying. "What's wrong?" Lin asked gently, leaning down and rubbing Chihiro's back.

"It's gone. The river's gone. I can't go home." Chihiro sobbed. What was she supposed to do? She was stuck in a place that didn't exist. Chihiro tried waking up. Nothing. Again, nothing. Again and again, and still nothing. She was trapped.

"Hey, it's okay... you can't go home yet." Chihiro wiped her eyes and looked up at her, composing herself. She was 18. She shouldn't be crying.

"You could only land yourself here if you were meant to come back. Apparently, there's a reason why you're here. I guess it's up to you to figure out what that is." Lin helped Chihiro up and smiled softly. "Now, let's go back to the bathhouse. You need some sleep."

* * *

"WHAT?! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" 

Yubaba's office was a mess. Books and trinkets scattered everywhere, papers lined the floors. Yubaba herself was a mess. Her pupils were dilated with rage, her hair wild, wriggling like snakes. Lin kept herself composed.

"And why not? If it weren't for Sen, you wouldn't have a bathhouse anymore. Your entire staff would've been gobbled up by No Face, including yourself."

Yubaba flicked her wrist and begin putting things back in order, clearly trying to contain herself. "It was Sen who let that monster loose in the first place." Yubaba growled. "If she hadn't let him in, there wouldn't have been a problem. She also cost me my apprentice!"

Chihiro stood behind Lin, not understanding the conversation taking place between the two women. No Face? Apprentice? Chihiro chased these thoughts away by entertaining the thought of Yubaba's giant nose.

Yubaba sat back down, with everything realigned (including her hair). "I said no, and I still mean it. Don't you dare talk to me with so much disrespect again, Lin. I can turn you into a pig, too, if you'd like."

Lin stood her ground, however. "Fine, if you won't give Chihiro a job, I'm sure Haku will have something to say about it."

Yubaba's pupils retracted again, this time out of fear rather than rage. "Haku?"

"You must remember him. Haku, your old apprentice, now river god? He visits every day and brings in a hefty amount of money. Surely you know who I'm talking about."

"O-of course." Yubaba shifted uncomfortably. "Kohaku. His river was restored, correct? So now he's a river god again..." She sighed, collecting her thoughts for a moment. "Alright, alright, I'll give you a job. You'll be working for—"

"She'll be working for me. Isn't that right, Sen?" Chihiro looked up suddenly as Lin addressed her, quickly nodding. Lin turned back to Yubaba. "She'll be keeping her name, too."

Yubaba grumbled furiously under her breath. "Fine, fine. Get out of my sight."

Lin took Chihiro's hand and took her outside. For some reason, Chihiro felt like a small girl, as though she were ten again. As soon as the two of them reached the elevator, Lin beamed victoriously.

"We did it, yes!" Lin laughed. Chihiro smiled weakly. "Haku will be coming tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you, it's been so long."

Chihiro nodded. "Lin, it's so strange. Everyone knows me here, but I don't know anyone. It feels... odd." She sighed.

Lin patted her on the back. "Don't worry. Just get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning. Who knows, maybe something will jog your memory."

* * *

The bathhouse was buzzing with gossip, all about Chihiro. When she awoke the next day, she was greeted by many unfamiliar faces, all saying things like, "Welcome back!" or, "I didn't think I'd see you again!" It was uncomfortable for Chihiro, seeing as she couldn't recognize any of them. She just dressed herself in her uniform and went to go meet Lin downstairs.

"Hey, Chihiro, you're up!" Lin called from the crowd, waving her arm around. She was holding a bucket of soap and water in her arms, along with two sponges. "We've been assigned to bath fifteen. Just follow me."

The two walked down the hallways, and as they passed, people's faces changed from disgust to delight. Lin explained that humans smell in the spirit world, but as soon as they saw it was you, they cheered right back up again.

"Alright, here we are. It's not that bad, but then again, they wouldn't give Haku a disgusting tub." Lin said knowingly, putting her fists on her hips. "Just go ahead and start washing the tub. I'll get a broom to sweep up the floor."

Chihiro looked around and smiled. _Finally, I'm in my element,_ She thought happily. Having worked at a bathhouse since she was 15 was going to pay off. Chihiro soaked her sponge and set to work. She pushed and pulled, making sure it was spotless, getting around the outside as well. When Lin came back, Chihiro had already used the other dry sponge to start sweeping the floor. Lin looked around in awe.

"When you were here last, you hardly knew how to soak a sponge. This is pretty surprising," Lin said, impressed. Chihiro laughed.

"Thanks," She said simply, going to reach for the broom. Lin pulled it back.

"Hey, now, it's my turn to pull my weight. Here, you just eat this." Lin handed her a bowl of rice. "Eat up, it's all your getting 'til dinner time."

For then next hour or so, Lin and Chihiro chatted and laughed, eating white rice and cleaning up the area so Haku (or as Lin called him, 'Haku, his almighty stuck-upness').

Chihiro laughed. "Really, Lin. If you say I loved Haku, then clearly he can't be all that bad."

"He's changed." Lin said quietly. "Ever since his river was restored, he's gotten more... well, obnoxious, if that's possible. Maybe it's the power gone to his head." She laughed.

"Here you are, sir!" A cheery, bubbly voice sounded from outside. "Enjoy your stay!"

Lin grinned. "Well, well. If it isn't little Haku."

* * *

**A/N:** Because I'm such a fantastic updater (I wrote both of these in one day), you should review.

Because... well... I said so. :3


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